What are the benefits of group travel vs. solo travel?

When deciding whether to travel with a group or on your own, there are many things to take into consideration. The benefits of group travel vs. solo travel include membership within a community of like-valued people, assistance with planning and travel logistics, and access to unique, curated local experiences.

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Membership within a community

Joining a work and travel program like Remote Year grants you automatic membership into a global community of like-valued professionals. Create deep and meaningful connections with your community as you travel together from city to city, in contrast to the surface-level, repetitive conversations required when meeting new solo travelers on a daily or weekly basis. When homesickness (or real sickness) kicks in during your travels you won’t be on your own - you’ll have close relationships to lean on in your time of need.

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Planning and logistics

Traveling solo means a lot of time spent researching flight deals and inspiring Airbnbs. As a member of a work and travel program, you don’t have to worry about the travel details. Your flights between destinations on your itinerary, your access to great coworking spaces, and your accommodations are carefully planned for you before you arrive in your destination by on-the-ground Remote Year staff. These are the people that you can count on if something goes awry:

Program Leader

Your community will be joined on its adventure by a Program Leader, a member of the Remote Year team who will guide you throughout your journey. He or she will work closely with the Experience team to provide you with great customer service throughout your Remote Year experience

City Team

Remote Year has local teams of 1-2 people in every destination on your itinerary. These teams are responsible for setting up the foundation of your experience in that city by selecting the neighborhood, accommodations, and workspace. They curate unique local Tracks™ and provide recommendations so you can experience the city’s highlights and explore the hidden local gems.

Travel Team

The Remote Year Travel team exists to help you alter and customize your travel to best suit your needs. If you need to change, upgrade, or alter your flights, this is the team to turn to.

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Unique, curated local experiences

As a solo traveler, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on some of the more enveloping experiences that your destination has to offer, simply because you’re a tourist, not a local (yet!). When you travel with a group, you’ll get recommendations from on-the-ground staff members who know the city like the back of their hand for things to eat, see, and do.

City Teams curate local Tracks™ that give you a unique perspective into the local history and culture of your destination. Think: learning how to craft knives from masters who have passed down this ancient art for generations in Hanoi. Sitting down with Nelson Mandela’s former warden in Cape Town to hear about the legendary leader firsthand. Taking a tour through Comuna 13 in Medellín, learning the stories behind the city’s violent past and how it was interpreted through graffiti murals directly from the street artists. These are the kinds of once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you can expect on a Remote Year program.